“I’m Here Standing as Proof That It Is Possible” — Tapper Triumphs with Lifetime Best at Nationals
Megan Tapper delivered the performance of her life on Sunday night at the National Stadium in Kingston, storming to a lifetime best 12.34 seconds to win the women’s 100m hurdles and secure her place on Jamaica’s team for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Competing in near windless conditions — a legal tailwind of just 0.1 m/s — the 31-year-old from Elite Performance Track Club ran the sixth-fastest time in the world this year, and with a stronger wind, could have run a sub-12.30 performance.
“I just feel so relieved that I could make people like you proud,” Tapper said moments after crossing the line. “You’ve been saying it for ages… and we finally made it happen.”
Tapper held off a strong challenge from Ackera Nugent of Adidas, who clocked 12.41 for second, while Amoi Brown of MVP Track Club secured third in 12.67. All three were inside the World Championships qualifying mark.
But for Tapper, the victory went beyond securing a place in Tokyo — it was about vindication and resilience.
She dedicated the moment in part to her training partner Julian Forte, also of Elite Performance, who has been pushing through his own struggles with injury.
“We train together and we motivate each other and help out each other,” she said. “I know he wasn’t able to come out here, although he really wanted to… and I feel like we’re kind of together in the fact that people always have stuff to say, but we always prove them wrong. And I’m here standing as proof that it is possible.”
Her mindset heading into the final was simple: respect everyone, fear no one.
“Every time I line up, it’s against a world-class field,” Tapper said. “So I can’t focus on what you did yesterday or before. I have to just focus on the fact that all of us are human, and when we line up, everybody’s at zero. I just had to execute, do what coach said I should do, and come out here with the confidence of a Jamaican man.”
Tapper also credited Dr. Jo Brown, whose specialized physiotherapy and strength work helped her overcome persistent limitations that had affected her execution in recent seasons.
“I’ve been working with Dr. Jo, who is superb at getting the body primed and ready to race,” she said. “I always knew I could do it, but there was just always something holding me back — strength in particular areas. We’ve been working on it. We’re not completely finished yet, but we’re getting there.”
She now turns her attention to two European meets — Berlin and Silesia — before entering the final stretch of preparation for the World Championships in September.
“I didn’t do much speed work this year, so I’m going to get some of that in,” Tapper explained. “We’re not stopping. We’re not stopping. We’re not stopping.”
Her victory on Sunday came just a year after suffering a hard fall that derailed her title hopes. The contrast was emotional.
“It feels amazing. It feels relieving. I am so grateful. I’m so happy. God is so good,” she said. “I don’t do this alone. I have a whole team around me and I’m so grateful that I could have gotten the win for them tonight.”
From heartbreak to triumph, Megan Tapper is once again at the forefront of Jamaica’s sprint hurdling — and running faster than ever.
